[ericpalonen]

Our first luxurious hack, thank you!! @Zhang Enyuan What is the best applicator for the mink oil?

 

[ericpalonen]

I saw this in Zhang's photo and it reminded me about one of the easiest hacks you can do with zero effort. You’ve seen these—they’re inside most shoeboxes as well as garments that are packaged in a closed cell of some kind. They're silica gel packets—they absorb moisture present in the nearby air to prevent mold and corrosion. We often throw them out without thinking twice but they have a perfectly serviceable second life in your headphone cases and storage containers. Depending on your environment, they can last months or even years, but are easy enough to replace for free as you buy everyday items. There are even packets small enough for IEM cases.

 

[Unseen Aura]

Didn't plan on sharing this as it's not for everyone, but why not, plus would be cool to see other folks give their Empyrean's (or Elites even, maybe) a crack. This is a visual/aesthetic mod to give the cans a new personality/look/flavor. Besides can't afford to throw down 3-4 grand everytime Meze releases a different color scheme. And since they don't have custom options, this let's one personalize, to a degree. I dare not disassemble the earcups in case I damage the sound tech, no money to afford repairs, hence no wrapping of any other parts. Vinyl wrapping takes some time and patience, but is very easy to get the hang of (after some trial & error aka practice) and is best used with a heat gun. Small investment with long-term returns.

Also recommend a good X-acto knife &/or knifeless tape, and squeegee plus other shaping tools. They also make a pin pen to help with air bubble release should it come down to that, but it's all down to personal preference. Admittedly (mainly due to financial restrictions) I don't have any tools past squeegee & X-acto knife so my Empyrean parts have a ton of scratches now, but it's cosmetic & personally couldn't care less, especially as I'm never going back to OG looks. And I improvise by using what I have laying around & make do, alas, it's a hack in the end. Different vinyl wraps have different pros and cons, it comes down to application, preference, environment, budget, graphic selection, etc.

I have a Chandler Tool heat gun I got off Amazon, and both wraps (Vvivid Vinyl & Vinyl Frog) from there as well. Provided pictures from various applications to best aid visually. Due to lack of finer tools I use my bare hands to do the smaller details, meaning I burn my hands a lot, heat is strong with this gun. To each their own, I don't mind the compromise & it toughens my fingers, paracording on the side certainly benefits tolerance levels. It is recommended (even more so to watch a bunch of YT tutorials) to heat the top surface of the vinyl a tad all over evenly to loosen it up a bit before applying on to your designated object, it helps with bending much better. The vinyl upon heating initially will stretch, then tighten. And heating it past a threshold will stretch again, then possibly tear. Different quality will determine these factors. I used Vvivid Biopulse Hex in dark tint & Gloss Candy Purple as base for the headband, & Vinyl Frog Matte Chameleon for the headband/rod clamps/holder for my current appearance, with neon yellow paracord wrap on the left side of the headband, because it's how I like it. Very hard to miss, this pair, when out in public .

Antonio/Meze designed this headphone so well, there's virtually no gap forgiveness between the clamps & the parts in between. Meaning, if one were to wrap the parts and attempt to screw the assembly back, with the wrap it would be too thick to do so. So, must cut very precisely so there's nothing in the way, at the same time not so far out that it interferes with the cleanliness of the wrap. Otherwise, will look very untidy and parts of the carbon fiber or alumin(i)um will be visible between the wraps. It's a big reason I ended up wrapping them multiple times, would get lazy and then regret it later, and have to do the whole thing from scratch. As long as the rods aren't all the way out, cannot see the back of them and so no need to wrap that area properly, just enough for the wrap to grasp the object. Same for the insides of the clamps, not that it'll be possible. As can be seen, my screws are silver & not stock black, I switched them out with the Maple Silver Classics for contrast against the color (or black before it was wrapped). All Meze cans use a T6 Torx screwdriver, but on the Liric they're intentionally super taut so as to not loosen over time, given their design.

Once the initially wrap is applied, it's a matter of heating, lifting and reapplying bit by bit with the aid of the heat gun, and using tools such as one's finger/nails & squeegee to wrap over curves, bends, etc. If applying on a closed gap, poke a hole in the center for air and easement of application. Cut out and discard the excess wrap. I use a for air release in areas I've exhausted all other options on to do so. Air is easily pushed out through the hole and practically disappears. I have yet to use knifeless tape, but I suspect it'll make the wrapping much easier in that you won't have scratches all over the parts as I do, and also will be able to choose leaving out the printed section on the rod holder parts. I took a picture of the area and then wrapped over it. Previously had the print showing but didn't like how abrupt the wrap looked.

I also have wanted to hydro-dip the parts for more complicated graphics, but haven't dabbled into it yet, mostly financial reasons. And have no worries about destroying the parts as it's all replaceable. I did accidentally push out the innards of the rod holder, but got to learn in the process what the mechanics are. For anyone wishing to increase the friction, doesn't seem to be a way according to me from what it is. But I've attached a photo so y'all can see, the rubber tube goes in first, leaving just enough space on the bottom for that hard ring with the gap, which follows suit. It popped out when I was wrapping the bottom sides and pushing through with a thicker screwdriver so the sides stretch out properly. I effed up and will need to rewrap the left rod holder as I got frustrated towards the end & rushed through it.

I have considered for future when I have knifeless tape to have more complicated wrap designs, and to build a heat divider that can go between the grille and cup frame in order that I may attempt to wrap those parts, but so far is fantasy, don't want to risk damaging the tech, everything else isn't as prone to a heart attack. Adding this for other eyes to read.

Best of luck & cheerio

Edit: Remove rods by unscrewing the top black head, & same way to put back on. Mine came with one loose, it's how I discovered it.

 

[Pharmaboy]

Didn't plan on sharing this as it's not for everyone, but why not, plus would be cool to see other folks give their Empyrean's (/Elite) a crack. This is a visual/aesthetic mod to give the cans a new personality/look/flavor. Besides can't afford to throw down 3-4 grand everytime Meze releases a different color scheme. And since they don't have custom options, this let's one personalize, to a degree. I dare not disassemble the earcups in case I damage the sound tech, no money to afford repairs, hence no wrapping of any other parts. Vinyl wrapping takes some time and patience, but is very easy to get the hang of (after some trial & error aka practice) and is best used with a heat gun. Small investment with long-term returns.

Also recommend a good X-acto knife &/or knifeless tape, and squeegee plus other shaping tools. They also make a pin pen to help with air bubble release should it come down to that, but it's all down to personal preference. Admittedly (mainly due to financial restrictions) I don't have any tools past squeegee & X-acto knife so my Empyrean parts have a ton of scratches now, but it's cosmetic & personally couldn't care less, especially as I'm never going back to OG looks. And I improvise by using what I have laying around & make do, alas, it's a hack in the end. Different vinyl wraps have different pros and cons, it comes down to application, preference, environment, budget, graphic selection, etc.

I have a Chandler Tool heat gun I got off Amazon, and both wraps (Vvivid Vinyl & Vinyl Frog) from there as well. Provided pictures from various applications to best aid visually. Due to lack of finer tools I use my bare hands to do the smaller details, meaning I burn my hands a lot, heat is strong with this gun. To each their own, I don't mind the compromise & it toughens my fingers, paracording on the side certainly benefits tolerance levels. It is recommended (even more so to watch a bunch of YT tutorials) to heat the top surface of the vinyl a tad all over evenly to loosen it up a bit before applying on to your designated object, it helps with bending much better. The vinyl upon heating initially will stretch, then tighten. And heating it past a threshold will stretch again, then possibly tear. Different quality will determine these factors. I used Vvivid Biopulse Hex in dark tint & Gloss Candy Purple as base for the headband, & Vinyl Frog Matte Chameleon for the headband/rod clamps/holder for my current appearance, with neon yellow paracord wrap on the left side of the headband, because it's how I like it. Very hard to miss, this pair, when out in public .

Antonio/Meze designed this headphone so well, there's virtually no gap forgiveness between the clamps & the parts in between. Meaning, if one were to wrap the parts and attempt to screw the assembly back, with the wrap it would be too thick to do so. So, must cut very precisely so there's nothing in the way, art the same time not so far out that it interferes with the cleanliness of the wrap. Otherwise, will look very untidy and parts of the carbon fiber or alumin(i)um will be visible between the wraps. It's a big reason I ended up wrapping them multiple times, would get lazy and then regret it later, and have to do the whole thing from scratch. As long as the rods aren't all the way out, cannot see the back of them and so no need to wrap that area properly, just enough for the wrap to grasp the object. Same for the insides of the clamps, not that it'll be possible. As can be seen, my screws are silver & not stock black, I switched them out with the Maple Silver Classics for contrast against the color (or black before it was wrapped). All Meze cans use a T6 Torx screwdriver, but on the Liric they're intentionally super taut so as to not loosen over time, given their design.

Once the initially wrap is applied, it's a matter of heating, lifting and reapplying bit by bit with the aid of the heat gun, and using tools such as ones finger/nails & squeegee to wrap over curves, bends, etc. If applying on a closed gap, poke a hole in the center for air and easement of application. Cut out and discard the excess wrap. I use a for air release in areas I've exhausted all other options on to do so. Air is easily pushed out through the hole and practically disappears. I have yet to use knifeless tape, but I suspect it'll make the wrapping much easier in that you won't have scratches all over the parts as I do, and also will be able to choose leaving out the printed section on the rod holder parts. I took a picture of the area and then wrapped over it. Previously had the print showing but didn't like how abrupt the wrap looked.

I also have wanted to hydro-dip the parts for more complicated graphics, but haven't dabbled into it yet, mostly financial reasons. And have no worries about destroying the parts as it's all replaceable. I did accidentally push out the innards of the rod holder, but got to learn in the process what the mechanics are. For anyone wishing to increase the friction, doesn't seem to be a way according to me from what it is. But I've attached a photo so y'all can see, the rubber tube goes in first, leaving just enough space on the bottom for that hard ring with the gap, which follows suit. It popped out when I was wrapping the bottom sides and pushing through with a thicker screwdriver so the sides stretch out properly. I effed up and will need to rewrap the left rod holder as I got frustrated towards the end & rushed through it.

I have considered for future when I have knifeless tape to have more complicated wrap designs, and to build a heat divider that can go between the grille and cup frame in order that I may attempt to wrap those parts, but so far is fantasy, don't want to risk damaging the tech, everything else isn't as prone to a heart attack. Adding this for other eyes to read.

Best of luck & cheerio

Your work is exceptional. Really impressive.

But I'm not a fan of this concept. Maybe if you did it a really ugly headphone I'd be fine with it. But a Meze Elite? Nope...

 

[ericpalonen]

Didn't plan on sharing this as it's not for everyone, but why not, plus would be cool to see other folks give their Empyrean's (/Elite) a crack. This is a visual/aesthetic mod to give the cans a new personality/look/flavor. Besides can't afford to throw down 3-4 grand everytime Meze releases a different color scheme. And since they don't have custom options, this let's one personalize, to a degree. I dare not disassemble the earcups in case I damage the sound tech, no money to afford repairs, hence no wrapping of any other parts. Vinyl wrapping takes some time and patience, but is very easy to get the hang of (after some trial & error aka practice) and is best used with a heat gun. Small investment with long-term returns.

Also recommend a good X-acto knife &/or knifeless tape, and squeegee plus other shaping tools. They also make a pin pen to help with air bubble release should it come down to that, but it's all down to personal preference. Admittedly (mainly due to financial restrictions) I don't have any tools past squeegee & X-acto knife so my Empyrean parts have a ton of scratches now, but it's cosmetic & personally couldn't care less, especially as I'm never going back to OG looks. And I improvise by using what I have laying around & make do, alas, it's a hack in the end. Different vinyl wraps have different pros and cons, it comes down to application, preference, environment, budget, graphic selection, etc.

I have a Chandler Tool heat gun I got off Amazon, and both wraps (Vvivid Vinyl & Vinyl Frog) from there as well. Provided pictures from various applications to best aid visually. Due to lack of finer tools I use my bare hands to do the smaller details, meaning I burn my hands a lot, heat is strong with this gun. To each their own, I don't mind the compromise & it toughens my fingers, paracording on the side certainly benefits tolerance levels. It is recommended (even more so to watch a bunch of YT tutorials) to heat the top surface of the vinyl a tad all over evenly to loosen it up a bit before applying on to your designated object, it helps with bending much better. The vinyl upon heating initially will stretch, then tighten. And heating it past a threshold will stretch again, then possibly tear. Different quality will determine these factors. I used Vvivid Biopulse Hex in dark tint & Gloss Candy Purple as base for the headband, & Vinyl Frog Matte Chameleon for the headband/rod clamps/holder for my current appearance, with neon yellow paracord wrap on the left side of the headband, because it's how I like it. Very hard to miss, this pair, when out in public .

Antonio/Meze designed this headphone so well, there's virtually no gap forgiveness between the clamps & the parts in between. Meaning, if one were to wrap the parts and attempt to screw the assembly back, with the wrap it would be too thick to do so. So, must cut very precisely so there's nothing in the way, art the same time not so far out that it interferes with the cleanliness of the wrap. Otherwise, will look very untidy and parts of the carbon fiber or alumin(i)um will be visible between the wraps. It's a big reason I ended up wrapping them multiple times, would get lazy and then regret it later, and have to do the whole thing from scratch. As long as the rods aren't all the way out, cannot see the back of them and so no need to wrap that area properly, just enough for the wrap to grasp the object. Same for the insides of the clamps, not that it'll be possible. As can be seen, my screws are silver & not stock black, I switched them out with the Maple Silver Classics for contrast against the color (or black before it was wrapped). All Meze cans use a T6 Torx screwdriver, but on the Liric they're intentionally super taut so as to not loosen over time, given their design.

Once the initially wrap is applied, it's a matter of heating, lifting and reapplying bit by bit with the aid of the heat gun, and using tools such as ones finger/nails & squeegee to wrap over curves, bends, etc. If applying on a closed gap, poke a hole in the center for air and easement of application. Cut out and discard the excess wrap. I use a for air release in areas I've exhausted all other options on to do so. Air is easily pushed out through the hole and practically disappears. I have yet to use knifeless tape, but I suspect it'll make the wrapping much easier in that you won't have scratches all over the parts as I do, and also will be able to choose leaving out the printed section on the rod holder parts. I took a picture of the area and then wrapped over it. Previously had the print showing but didn't like how abrupt the wrap looked.

I also have wanted to hydro-dip the parts for more complicated graphics, but haven't dabbled into it yet, mostly financial reasons. And have no worries about destroying the parts as it's all replaceable. I did accidentally push out the innards of the rod holder, but got to learn in the process what the mechanics are. For anyone wishing to increase the friction, doesn't seem to be a way according to me from what it is. But I've attached a photo so y'all can see, the rubber tube goes in first, leaving just enough space on the bottom for that hard ring with the gap, which follows suit. It popped out when I was wrapping the bottom sides and pushing through with a thicker screwdriver so the sides stretch out properly. I effed up and will need to rewrap the left rod holder as I got frustrated towards the end & rushed through it.

I have considered for future when I have knifeless tape to have more complicated wrap designs, and to build a heat divider that can go between the grille and cup frame in order that I may attempt to wrap those parts, but so far is fantasy, don't want to risk damaging the tech, everything else isn't as prone to a heart attack. Adding this for other eyes to read.

Best of luck & cheerio

I can certainly appreciate the thorough work you did here, down to the last detail!

 

[Dynamo5561]

The HD800s can be actually cleaned very easily. Because they have so much fabric (earpads, headband etc.) they soak in sweat and attract quite some dust.

Before:

Disassembly:

Cleaning of the earpads and headband:

Drying in the oven (around 40-50 degree Celsius)

Voila, brand new

 

[Tex Irie]

Shout out to whomever decided to share, create, and contribute to this thread. A1 Stuff. Never even crossed my mind to used silly putty for lint removal on ear pads...

 

[ericpalonen]

Voila, brand new

Wow the difference is vs !!

Shout out to whomever decided to share, create, and contribute to this thread

TY! I've had this idea for a while, and hope that the community keeps adding to it as I've seen some really cool tricks from my days in the Sennheiser offices. As we get to a few dozen entries, we will be able to start organizing them so this becomes a nice lil' repository. Let's keep it going!

 

[Tex Irie]

Wow the difference is vs !!

TY! I've had this idea for a while, and hope that the community keeps adding to it as I've seen some really cool tricks from my days in the Sennheiser offices. As we get to a few dozen entries, we will be able to start organizing them so this becomes a nice lil' repository. Let's keep it going!

Top Notch Content! Let's keep it going.

 

[Zhang Enyuan]

Our first luxurious hack, thank you!! @Zhang Enyuan What is the best applicator for the mink oil?

all natural Do not add chemical layers
This is better for leather and maintenance

 

[odarg64]

Here's one I've been doing for a while, very convenient. Attach a bull clip to the edge of a desk (assuming one has the option), then remove the top one by squeezing the sides.
Put whichever desired cable through the nice gap, then insert it back in the slots. Not only is it organized, can pull the needed cable to the amp/DAC/etc. Not pictured, but have put multiple adapter wires through to keep station neat & tidy. I opted in this example to thread through only one of the clips, folded the other under the table, but to each their own.


Cheers

I used this hack today. Works great. Thanks!

 

[Unseen Aura]

Your work is exceptional. Really impressive.

But I'm not a fan of this concept. Maybe if you did it a really ugly headphone I'd be fine with it. But a Meze Elite? Nope...

C'est la vie, init mate?

 

[Unseen Aura]

@Huuko may have something to contribute to this thread.

 

[JollyJ]

I bet @puck has a thousand great ideas that could be shared here!

 

[puck]

Most of mine are more intensive mods and builds than hacks per se. The only "hack" I can really think of to add here is that black sharpy markers work pretty well to hide dings and chips in black ano and paint. Just touch the spot with the sharpy and try not to get it on the existing black as much as possible. Sometimes it helps to blend it a little with you finger tip after applying. You'll still see the spot on close inspection but it will look pretty good from several feet away.

I do put suspension straps on a lot of things for comfort as well.